That’s Fishin’ – December 2022

Welcome to the December edition of That’s Fishin, the official start of the dry season here on the Costa Rican Pacific Coast and our peak tourism period from now through April. I am so pleased that you are here to join us, wish you an amazing, life changing visit and hope that you get to experience some of our incredible fishing.

OFFSHORE FISHING

The Fishing in November was completely world class and safe to say, got the season started with a bang! Allen & Kristy who were visiting from the NJ/NY area, fishing aboard MUY CALIENTE & BUCKETLIST, were ready for a day off to give their arms a rest after fishing 4 days and catching no less than 58 fish! Now we are not talking about minnows here, we are talking 200lb plus Blue Marlin, beautiful Striped Marlin, Sailfish, Dorados up to 40lbs and some non-stop Yellow Fin Tuna action. The fishing that Allen and Kristy experienced is exactly why November is most Quepos Captain’s favorite month of the year. Yes, November will always rain a little or sometimes a lot but when the Fishing is this good, who cares!

The Dorado bite has been nothing short of phenomenal. Seasonal rains in October and November cause huge debris lines of logs, tree trunks and the likes to gather typically around 8-15 miles Offshore which create the ideal feeding grounds for hungry Dorado. Most of the Dorado are in the 12-20lb range but there have already been some huge Bull Dorado in the 40-65lb class landed. Expect Dorado numbers to reduce through December as water temps increase and the debris lines disappear once the rain has stopped. Whilst numbers will likely be lower, the chances of a Big Bull Dorado are at their peak from December through February. November and December are some of the best months of the year for Blue Marlin and this November was no exception with some sensational Marlin fishing experienced by the Quepos fleet. Anglers should book a full day Offshore trip if you would like to target Marlin.

The Tuna fishing in November was excellent also, with lots of fish in the 20-50lb range and some larger Tuna mixed in. December and January often produce some of the largest Tuna of the year and every year there are 200lb plus Tuna caught here in Quepos.

There were Sailfish out there during November and numbers will increase through December before they typically peak January through April which is prime Sailfish season and chances of double digit Sailfish days are possible when you find the fish.

INSHORE FISHING

Now that the rains have slowed down and the Inshore water clarity has improved, expect the Inshore fishing to be firing on all cylinders during December. Huge shoals of Threadfin Herring (locally known as Sardines) move into the shallow waters along the beaches north and south of Quepos. There can be some excellent fishing for Jacks and Mackerel early mornings close to the bait shoals and as you push closer to the rivermouths there can be some great fishing to be enjoyed for Snook, Roosterfish, Pacific Red Snapper plus other species such as Tripletail, Corvina and more. Our rivermouths and beaches tend to produce small to medium sized Roosterfish in the 2lb to 25lb range, however, our rocks and island locations out in deeper water will hold the best chance of a real Trophy Roosterfish in the 30-80lb class. The waters around Quepos are one of the best places on the planet to catch a Trophy Roosterfish and fish to over 100lbs have been caught here.

Over the past few years with the help of GRAY FISHTAG RESEARCH in Florida we have been tagging Roosterfish here in Quepos with a series of Satellite & static tags to try and help us further our understanding of one of Central America’s most iconic Fish. The data we have collected in the past year has literally been mind blowing as we have started to see consistent movement patterns which have taken Fish to Offshore waters in water depths that we never thought possible for a ‘coastal fish’. If you are lucky enough to catch a Roosterfish, ask your Captain if you can Tag it to get involved in this fantastic research effort like dozens of our other visiting Anglers.

There are boats at Marina Pez Vela to suit every taste and budget to go Inshore fishing from affordable pangas and centre consoles to more comfortable Sport Fishers. Choose from Half Day or Full Day trips and some excellent Inshore boats are IDRA 2, Marlin B, SKY 2, GOOD DAY, MIRSE AZUL, & MUCHO FISHO.

TOURNAMENT DATES

With last month’s Dorado Derby’s taking place, tournament season has now officially begun with some epic events happening from now through July. All are welcome in Marina Pez Vela tournaments and we would love to have you involved. Simply drop me a line if you would like to find out more and you can see full details & schedule at marinapezvela.com/tournaments/

January 13-14, 2023 Pelagic Rockstar
February 4, 2023 Roosterfish Rodeo
February 17-18, 2023 Pescadora Billfish Championship (Ladies Only)
March 4, 2023 Sailfish Slam
April 15, 2023 Marina Pez Vela Open
April 16-21, 2023 Offshore World Championships
July 1, 2023 Summer Solstice Shootout

Tight lines! See you on the water!

Benn Gilmour
Jackpot Sport Fishing, Marina Pez Vela, Quepos